Hey, have you heard that Peter Capaldi is stepping down from his role as the Doctor? Yeah I thought so. Oh, and Steven Moffat is finally doing what Wikipedia hackers have been demanding since 2010 and vacating his position as show-runner, making way for Broadchurch's Chris Chibnall. That should be fun.
Of course, we're invariably going to be treated to a plethora of open letters to Mr. Chibnall from the fans (between now and eight months before he steps down) expressing their collective insight into what the show should and shouldn't be. The first one I've seen appeared Sunday in the Telegraph, and there's more to come.
Nerds are nothing if not opinionated (self-reflection acknowledged), but maybe as a public service to us all we could hone the advice into a usable pool? Here are my suggestions that nobody asked for to keep in mind before offering suggestions that Chris Chibnall has not asked for.
1. He probably knows what the show is about.
Everybody has passions, and we all think that we somehow have nuggets of wisdom just for caring so much. And yes, passions really can drive us to understand something. But we're talking amateurs versus professionals. In my blog, I have plenty to say about comedy. But if I were to sit down to dinner with Bob Newhart I would be more than comfortable accepting that I've got no tips whatsoever for him.
I don't know how Chibnall is going to do. I don't know where his ambitions lie or if he's coming from a place of "We HAVE to do this while I'm driving!". But the bottom line is, he's got the job. And he didn't get it from Michael Grade, so that's a plus. The powers most directly affected by the show's success or failure have decided that Chibnall is the one to carry on the legacy. That by itself means he knows more than you or me.
2. There are no roots that need gotten back to.
People on social media like to complain about when Doctor Who lost its identity or why it's not true to form anymore. Good lord, it's not complicated. He travels in a box and does stuff. That's it. Roots are officially watered.
The show has a fifty plus year history, the first five of which never even knew he was a Timelord. About the last time the show was in danger of not being Doctor Who was the American television movie in 1996, and even then Paul McGann emerged as a beloved contributor to the icon. At this point it's not likely we're going to see the show lose its way. We've all figured out what Doctor Who is.
3. Pearl Mackie/David Tennant/Nabil Shaban won't be returning no matter how vocal you are about it.
This one's easy. The show-runner doesn't care about your petitions. Nobody on staff has ever read a message board and thought "Wow! We never thought of bringing Sylvester McCoy back! Let's call him right now!" They're using the resources they have to make the show work the best way possible. You only have to look at Dimensions in Time to see what gratuity looks like and how wrong it feels. Actually don't. It will change you for the worse.
4. It doesn't make business sense to change the Doctor's gender at this time.
I don't have a problem seeing a female Doctor. If Joanna Lumley comes to the audition and mops the floor with the competition, then go for it. But lately people have been demanding a female Doctor just for the sake of itself. I don't get what that accomplishes. It would make more sense to me that the show spins off into a Romana series or something for when the Doctor goes on his endearing eighteen month hiatuses.
I don't predict the BBC would ever shake things up that much on their cash cow; especially considering that every time a cast member leaves, a subset of audience goes with them. The people who clamor for a female Doctor are still watching the show. The BBC is always going to prioritize for the audience that might wander away, and keep bringing them back with familiarity. Is that wrong? I don't know. But it's entertainment, where very little is at stake. Equality is better directed at real world issues.
Update: 7/16 Well, what do I know? Welcome to television history Jodie Whittaker!
5. You don't know what you want.
Just face it, you don't. When Jurassic Park hit theaters, people griped that it wasn't like the book. When Hannibal was released, people griped that if you read the book there were no surprises. Spider-Man 3 gave everybody what they asked for, and I'm willing to bet you're in a worse mood now just because I even mentioned that movie.
I can't think of a single time I've written something that's come out on paper the way it ran in my head. The reason is twofold (at least). For one thing, my head has not typed out the words; it has an amorphous idea that's constantly reworking itself. For another, sometimes an idea works in one's head that doesn't work on paper. It's an old saying of professional scriptwriters; every script is three stories: the one you imagine, the one you write, and the one that gets made. So really, what chance is there that you're ever going to see a Doctor Who production that appeases your own ambiguous expectations?
The best case scenario: Chris Chibnall knows what he's doing. The worst case: he doesn't. The more probable: he kind of knows, but he's also going to be figuring it out as he goes. In any case, the Doctor will survive. The show is about reinvention. This is one phase. There will be many more.
My only tip for Chibnall is this. Try to remember that we, the fans, tend to have really lousy ways of expressing how much we care. I don't envy the position you're taking on, but I'm very grateful that you're even willing to take on such an incredible role. Welcome to the legacy.
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